Don't rush to erase a piece of Rochester history

Minds must meet on proposed church demolition

As a neglected yet irreplaceable Reconstruction Era church building faces a commercial developer's wrecking ball, the city of Rochester's zoning board acted prudently Thursday in pumping the brakes and calling for further study.

The decision of whether to allow Marvin Maye to raze a building he rightfully owns and replace it with a Dollar General store and retail plaza can't be made carelessly. There are no take-backs.

It's by no means a simple decision. Some neighbors of the 140-year-old church at 660 W. Main St. passionately argue that this brand of retail isn't the right fit for an area on the verge of an upswing. At the same time, a city hungry for private investment and a stronger tax base can less afford to shun willing individuals such as Maye, whose project is said to promise a $1.4 million investment and badly needed job opportunities.

Protectors of Rochester's antiquities make a compelling case for the empty church's salvation as well, with the nearby Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Association and the Landmark Society of Western New York mobilizing in its defense. And City Hall calls the dilapidated building, located near the famed suffragist's museum and the city's Heritage Trail, a historical asset.

While preservationists have earned a reputation for being long on ideas and short on means, the Landmark Society argues that as West Main Street comes back to life - with Nothnagle Realtors' new hub and the $7 million Josh Lofton project as examples - the existing property will soon become much more marketable as a potential rehab project.

Thanks to a $1,500 grant from the Landmark Society, the Anthony neighbors want to have a structural analysis performed to determine the church's viability. However, without the owner's consent, this study won't happen.

It's promising that the city has signaled willingness to work with Maye to find a mutually beneficial alternative to erasing a piece of Rochester history. They must make way for compromise.